If the Buddha were here today he would probably say, “If you want to change your life, then start by changing your thinking.” In the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha taught that the way to happiness is to practice Right Effort, meaning that we should relinquish negative and harmful thoughts and instead cultivate positive and beneficial ones.

Peace and happiness can really be one thought away provided we know which thoughts we need to let go of and which ones we should cultivate and encourage. In this video, I explain the Four Great Efforts and give you practical tips on how to practice each one.More videos:

From The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita, with an Introduction by Bhikkhu Bodhi (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1985). Transcribed from the print edition in 1996 by a volunteer under the auspices of the DharmaNet Transcription Project, with the kind permission of the BPS. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013.

If you liked this page, please consider sharing it. Thanks!

This site is to help beginners easily understand the Buddhist teachings so they can quickly experience its great benefits. I’ve been practicing Buddhism for over 10 years. I was a Buddhist nun for three years and did a total of three years solitary meditation retreats. I’m even more enthusiastic about practicing Buddhism now than I was during the “honeymoon period” when I first started learning about it and practicing it.

To start learning about Buddhism and meditation, watch some of my videos here or read my blog posts here.